Seal ring formation is an important part in the back-end of semiconductor processes. Seal rings are stress protection structures around integrated circuits (ICs), protecting the internal circuit inside semiconductor chips from damage caused by the sawing of the semiconductor chips from wafers. Seal rings are also used to protect the IC from moisture degradation and ionic contamination.
As the size of electronic devices has decreased, the robustness of seal ring structure is weakened as well. Accordingly, seal ring structure with higher robustness and protection ability is desired.